Allocasuarina from the Greek 'allos' meaning other or different, indicating the relationship with the genus Casuarina (first used by Rumphius (1743) in allusion to the supposed resemblance of the "foliage" of Casuarina equisetifolia to the plumage of the Cassowary, which is from the Malay 'kesuari', later being latinised as Casuarius). Verticillata from the Latin 'verticillatus' meaning whorl, referring to the leaves arranged in whorls, or seemingly so.

Distribution:

Found in the southern part of South Australia from the Gammon Ranges to the lower South-east, growing in a wide range of habitats. Also found in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Status:

Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.

Plant description:

Dioecious tree to 9 m tall with drooping branches on the male tree. Female trees are erect and bear cones.

Dark brown, smooth and semi-flat seeds to 10 mm long, with a papery wing at one end.

Embryo type:

Investing.

Seed collecting:

Cones can be collected anytime as mature cones remain on the female plant. Collect cones that have closed valves from the lower part of the stem as these are more mature.

Seed cleaning:

Place cones in a tray and leave to dry for 2-3 weeks. This will allow the valves to dry and open releasing the seeds. Place the dried cones in a bucket and shake gently to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate seeds from the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.

Seed viability:

From one collection, the seed viability was low, at 30%.

Seed germination:

Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.

Seeds stored:

Location

No. of seeds(weight grams)

Numberof plants

Datecollected

Collection numberCollection location

Datestored

% Viability

Storagetemperature

BGA MSB

81948194

14

7-Oct-2003

PJA 33Murray

1-Sep-2004

30%

+5°C, -18°C

Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.